Control elements, such as electrical and/or electronics switching devices in the form of a joystick and/or cursor switch, serve for the manual actuation of functions in a motor vehicle. Inter alia, such switching devices are used for the inputting of data for an electrical unit by a user, for example, in the case of automobile radios, navigation units, on-board computers or similar units in the motor vehicle. In particular, a control element of this type may also be used as an electronic gear selector switch for a motor vehicle transmission controlled in shift-by-wire fashion.
A control element of this type has a handle which may, for example, be formed in the manner of a selector lever. The handle is mounted in movable fashion on a carrier, in such a way that the handle is adjustable manually in two different directions from a neutral position into adjustment positions. Specifically, the handle is adjustable into at least in each case one adjustment position associated with the respective direction. The control element furthermore has a means for the detection of the adjustment positions. The means for the detection of the adjustment positions is of cumbersome design in the case of the known control element.